I could watch the water all day, recording the changes and transitions I observe every time I get the chance. As the tide goes out more piers are appearing, and when it rains I can see the fugue. Rain falling on water seems one of the only times you can see the wind. Emerald gelatinous form, solid...smoothed with light, billowing. The golden purples of the afternoon, the light! The light! Swelling the mass. Harboured in this little nested bay, we are quite still and safe when it is choppy water further out. Am mesmerised by the passing of air in front of me, through me, and out to the H2O. Inside the walls I am hidden, outside I am shared. Public space reveals us, we are on show, sharing each other's breaths.

The coin bag from the bank states "DO NOT MIX DENOMINATIONS". I wonder if Juanita Neilson is buried in the concrete of the buildings on the hill. I fly out the windows and over the bay before me. Gliding and diving through airwaves, washing through the rush.

There is some graffiti on the window in studio#4; "Does the noise ever stop?"

I watch the rain, the salty water of the ocean laps it up. Gray light and haze fills the bay, as it comes down more solidly it washes and soaks. Lucid tranquility pours over us. I see the shifts in colour, intense blooms develop in the water, from bronze and steel come copper, navy green and deep browns getting murkier. A mass of sawdust and floaties arrive, casting a grotesque grunge. At night I delight in the reflected lights.

Today the water is alternately mirrored and glowing as well as shimmering and fractured. When it rains the pavement opposite looks mirrored. A woman in a red dress struts along, and I can almost see up her dress! Watching the crinkly waves lapping the wharf. Tidily re-arranging themselves to subsume, merge and then re-offer their form, irrespective of each other? The accommodating mass pleads and plies, a washing form, virtually alive. Ominous in it's darkness, but so inviting in the light.

Terrific turquoise emerald quality today. I am transfixed by it's iridescence, and flat whole, stretched like a vast mirror to the sky. Lakes of ripples, swollen with oxygen.

Ships disturb and displace the drink, as rolls come toward me, swallowing land. I watch the warships*, and note their appearances, I detail the colours of the cars across the road at the W.

Sometimes it is just play, the residency at the Gunnery. 'Let me try this with that'. I downloaded a Google map of the area and set about doing a rendition of it in locally sourced detritus. And Now: A new day; Night mergers, Offerings and Wishes

Sunday, November 19, 2006

And a dinnerAfter 6 weeks in the studios, and installing at Artspace, we were rudely kicked out. I got to come back for the night before the closing with a private party. Hosted by Lisa Andrew, Carla Cescon and myself, we created a Grotesque Dinner. Entrees were super-good gazpacho with ghostly croutons (CC), mains, Messy sushi; loads of rice and assorted toppings accompanied by seaweed cut into hand shapes (my own), and finally la piece de resistance, pictured L; ile flotante...by LA; described as an island of meringue floating in a lake of custard, it was truly monumental. Table decor, LA and CC.Sorry, more pix to come (if anyone has any can they send them to me?).I think there were 30 guests. Pictured; The fabulous Nobu. Photographs; The great Deborah Vaughan.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

I needed mirrors to complete the work and used the FREECYCLE service. I can recommend it. It was an adventure going to stranger's homes to pick up their articles. Highly rewarding. The bottom pic has 2 mirror works in it, the far piece, an engraved mirror with the scene from across the water on it, and nearer, a mirror I'd set a hot bulb on, which had cracked to reveal a fantastic harbour scene...oh my good fortune! I have a history with glass, I am very attracted to it, but am such klutz! I break my most precious pieces without fail, and particularly when I am installing. However I have learnt to incorporate this clumsiness into the work. Or I think I have!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Top; install detail (the trestle tables were laden with a virtual map of the area)Center; install detailBottom; recordings of warships and car colours parked opposite over the duration of the residency (Chinagraph on card)

Thursday, November 16, 2006

More details...the bottom piece doesn't show it, so I'll have to extract stills from the video I filmed of Richard Gurney dancing in my studio, navigating the city scape all over the floor. I have always enjoyed the giant human myths. Adam Costenoble very kindly formatted it for me on the 11th hour, for which I am eternally grateful.

The top piece, a bit of whimsy. Decorated light globe on a chain. I keep seeing fabulous jewellry and accessories all around me, BLING! I keep making fancy decorative pieces in response to all that.

The entire show, once again seemed to figure on points of synchronicity. Pieces I found were perfectly sized and shaped for the purposes I needed. Everywhere I looked I got confirmation of the work I was making.

[I was concerned that the piece had an ivory tower mentality to it. There I was up in my little kingdom, scrutinising the local neighbourhood, noting details and working with my own devised format...but how could I escape this label? Short of relinquishing my control over the project, I wasn't willing to compromise. However the whole idea of It's a new day...involved collaborative projects in some way.]

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

I used a version of this once in a Canberra show, years ago, and it said; "SUBMISSIVE POLITICAL IDIOT"

(I was talking about myself of course!)

Submissive 2006

hot glue on lightbox

I think about the cool people we got to meet at Artspace while we were there...Minimaxi May from WA...Nobuhiro Ishihara from Tokyo and Deborah Vaughan, Sydney, amongst others.

We had fun with Minimaxi, she had a dinner in her studio one night and since Lisa Kelly's project involved activating the studio area there was a lot of open doors and checking each other's works out. Nobu was really engaged with what we were all doing, and at the end of our stay I got to see what he was up to and it was fantastic in his space. Deborah showed some of her work during the grotesque dinner, eyes projected onto the exterior windows of Artspace, really beautiful and engaging.